RAF Bomber Command

The RAF Bomber Command controlled the British Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. The bomber command's finest hour was during World War II, when it cooperated with the US Air Force in carrying out the strategic bombing of Nazi Germany. From 1942 onward, the British bombing campaign in Germany became less restrictive, targeting industrial sites and the civilian population. 364,514 operational sorties were flown and 1,030,500 tons of bombs were dropped; the RAF lost 8,325 aircraft and 55,573 pilots (44.4% of RAF bomber pilots were killed). In 1968, the Bomber Command and the RAF Fighter Command merged to form the Strike Command.